Chronicles of Espiria Season 1
Episode 15 - The 100th Trial
Written by The Dude
3 years ago...
The gladiatorial arena of the Centaurs was full to capacity. Not only were the seats in the stands filled, but so were the peepholes in the dungeon, occupied by curious and hopeful Bears. The patriarch of the Centaurs, Golus, stepped up to the podium from which all fights were announced, determined to be front and center on this day that would be long remembered.
"Stallions and mares, welcome to the arena!"
Cheers erupted from the audience, all of whom loved Golus.
"When I was a younger Centaur, our people were scorned by the other Mauler tribes, and especially oppressed by the Bear clan, who forced us to surrender our meager possessions whenever we crossed their lands in search of food. That is, until we found our courage and stood up to the Bears, reclaiming our freedom and our dignity!"
The crowd cheered, some of them remembering the times that Golus spoke of.
"For many years, we have made certain that the Bears reap the just wages for their generations of oppression. But six months ago, I was informed that one of them believed that they had paid in full for the sins of their fathers!"
A chorus of boos rained down on this suggestion.
"I scoffed at first myself, but then I remembered that it is the right of any Mauler, whatever his station, to prove himself in combat. And so we devised the Hundred Trials, a way for the Bears to do just that. Many of you have watched the Bears as they attempted the Trials, and have learned to respect their power and tenacity. Out of the twenty hand-picked gladiators chosen to represent the Bears in these trials, five now stand ready to face their final challenge! The prize for victory: freedom for the Bear clan!"
The crowd seemed mixed in their reactions; while some cheered for their favorite gladiator to perform well, others were vehemently opposed to offering freedom to the Bears. The Bears watching from the dungeon, on the other hand, were all cheering as one for their five champions.
"And now, let the challengers enter the arena! Our first challenger is the first Bear to earn the title of undisputed champion of the arena, a title he held on to longer than any other gladiator in this arena's history. I give you, Hunter the Beheader!"
Hunter entered the arena, armed with a spear, to mixed cheers and boos, his fur bristling not at the reaction of the crowd, but at the use of the nickname that he'd had to endure since his first arena win. As he reached the center of the arena, he smiled at the thought that this would be the last time he would hear that nickname.
"Next, a Bear better known for his stage presence than his skill, which has earned him many fans and many mercies. Today, his dramatic skills will be pushed to their limits. I give you, Terron the Dancer!"
Terron entered the arena, armed with a short sword and small wooden shield, with low bows and dramatic waves to the spectators, twirling his sword now and then to reassure his fans that he did, in fact, know how to use his weapon. He took his place next to Hunter with one final bow.
"Remember, Terron," Hunter said to him, "there will be no mercy this time. We win, or we die."
"As it has been throughout these trials, my cohort." Terron replied. "The difference is that this time, we return not to the dungeon, but to the home of our fore-Bears."
"Next," Golus continued, "a bear that has captured the hearts of even a few Centaurs. She is among the most successful female gladiators in this arena's history, not only because of her strength, but her cunning. I give you, Petra the Sapera Charmer!"
Petra sauntered into the arena, apparently armed only with a chain wrapped around her arm, blowing kisses to the fans in the stands. She was known as the Sapera Charmer because she frequently would use poisoned weapons in battle; no one could ever discover where her poisons were coming from, but they always gave her the edge she needed, especially psychologically. As she stood next to Hunter, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"Ready, old man?" she asked him, her tone indicating that she cared little about his age.
"I'd nearly given up on this day ever coming." Hunter replied. "We will not be denied."
"Next," Golus continued, "the only bear in this arena's history to ever manage to escape from his holding cell. He has more ferocity than intellect, as many of you have seen during his fights. I give you, Levko the Ferocious!"
Levco sprinted on all fours to the center of the arena, trembling with anticipation as he took his place next to Terron and pulled a pair of axes from a sheath on his back and roared.
"Please, my friend," Terron scolded as he wiped Levco's slobber from his face, "save some of that energy for the fight!"
"And now," Golus continued with a smirk, "the reason most of you are here. The leader of this small team has a nearly perfect record; though he has never been defeated, his kill count is but a small fraction of the number of matches he has taken part in. Many of us enjoy seeing the creative ways in which he manages to incapacitate his opponents rather than kill them. Well, today, he will be forced to kill for his freedom. Stallions and mares, I give you the father of the 100 Trials, Warek the Untamed!"
Warek entered the arena to thunderous applause. Even those who wanted to see him fail had to admit that he was the single greatest gladiator in Mauler history. Armed with a pair of bronze gauntlets, he was ready to face his final bout as a slave and begin his life as a free Mauler.
"The Centaurs will make sure this is the toughest fight we've ever faced," Warek said to his allies. "But we will win it the same way we've won every other fight."
"Together." Petra finished.
"And now to bring out their opponents!" Golus continued once the cheers had abated. "The warriors you are about to meet are the elite of the elite! Only the Paragon and his Blood Guard are more feared and respected within the Scorched Expanse than the battle-hardened fighting machines that these Bears are about to face! I give you, the lieutenants of the Raging Hooves!"
Four Centaurs ran into the arena to thunderous applause, identified by their blankets as 1st through 4th lieutenant. They ran a lap around the arena, brandishing their poleaxes, then lined up facing the Bears, stern looks on each of their faces meant to intimidate the Bears.
"Four against five?" Terron observed. "I thought the challenge would be more dire."
"I promise you, there will be a fifth." Warek responded, looking around. "Centaurs love their drama."
Hunter snorted in disgust. "At least Tidus was straightforward; he attacked the moment he set foot in the arena."
Golus waited with a smirk until the applause for the Raging Hooves died down before making his final announcement.
"And to lead the Raging Hooves into battle, I give you...myself!"
Everyone was shocked into silence until Golus jumped from the podium into the arena. As he straightened back up from the drop, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers, now expecting a full-fledged war in the arena. The only ones not completely surprised by Golus' entrance were Warek and Hunter; they knew that the Centaurs' love of drama would demand that their leader himself take part in this contest. Besides, Golus was the author of the Bears' enslavement; he had to have a say in whether or not the Bears would have their freedom restored.
A Centaur colt brought Golus his poleaxe and shield as Golus took his place at the lead of the Raging Hooves. Warek and his allies huddled for a moment as the Centaurs prepared themselves for the ultimate enemy. When both sides were ready, dwarven gunpowder was burned to signal the start of the fight.
The Centaurs charged forward at full speed with the spear of the poleaxes leveled, hoping to end the fight early. This was their tactic on the battlefield, and it served them and the Maulers they supported well. It was also exactly what Warek was expecting. All five Bears jumped at just the right moment to land a perfectly aimed punch in the faces of the Centaurs, except for Petra, who opted to deliver a blow to the stomach. Surprised by the counterattack, the Centaurs fell to the ground, the 3rd lieutenant breaking his leg. This one was easily dispatched by Hunter. The other four quickly scrambled to their feet, their only injury to their pride.
Golus, realizing just how clever his adversary could be, shouted orders to his lieutenants in the old Equine dialect. Warek knew that Golus was up to something, so he kept a close eye on Golus as he and his lieutenants started galloping around the arena. The other Bears watched the Centaurs as well, but their paths were so complex that the 2nd lieutenant was able to escape everyone's notice. While the Bears were distracted, the 2nd lieutenant snuck up on Terron and buried his poleaxe in Terron's back. Seeing that his tactic was a success, Golus charged at Warek again to keep him distracted and prevent him from issuing any orders.
With the fall of Terron, the 2nd lieutenant hoped to follow up his victory by kicking Levco with his back feet before he could react, but missed as Levco ducked out of the way. Petra was quick to react once she saw what had happened to Terron, producing a knife that had been hidden under the chain on her arm and throwing it at the Centaur. Though it was the knife handle that hit the Centaur, this proved to be enough distraction that Levco was able to easily open the Centaur's belly with his axes. Petra returned her attention to the other Centaurs while Levco paused to admire his handiwork. This proved to be a mistake; the 2nd lieutenant mustered the last of his strength to lift his poleaxe and use it to decapitate Levco while his guard was down.
Golus and his remaining lieutenants continued their assault on Warek and Hunter, looking for some weakness in their defense. This was a slim hope at best; Warek was the only gladiator to ever survive against Tidus and his relentless fighting style, so the cold, calculated, and frankly predictable attacks of Golus and his lieutenants were child's play by comparison. This assessment remained true until, instead of another thrust at Warek's chest as he expected, Golus thrust his poleaxe down and hooked Warek's leg, tripping him. Golus brought his poleaxe up to finish Warek, but was distracted when Petra jumped on his back. She sat astride him like a bucking bronco until he finally threw her off, breaking her leg in her fall.
Golus returned his attention to Warek, who was back on his feet and ready to distract Golus from Petra, while the 4th lieutenant moved to finish her off. Hunter saw this and was quick to jump between Petra and the Centaur, growling as he tightened his grip on his spear. As the Centaur charged, Hunter dropped the spear and jumped at him, dodging the Centaur's slash with his poleaxe and using the momentum of both their bodies to swing himself onto the Centaur's back. He took hold of the Centaur's neck and, after a few moments of struggling, ripped the head off. He rolled away as the Centaur's lifeless body fell to the ground, still holding the dripping head.
The 1st lieutenant, the last of Golus' allies in this fight, was already charging at Hunter, intent on avenging the deaths of his allies. Hunter glanced at the head still in his hand, then threw it at the charging Centaur. The head hit the Centaur in the face, splashing blood in his eyes and temporarily blinding him. Petra grabbed a poleaxe dropped by one of the felled Centaurs and tossed it to Hunter, who buried it in the heart of the charging Centaur. As he fell, struggling to breathe his last, Hunter returned to Petra's side to tend to her broken leg.
This left the final confrontation between Warek and Golus. Angered by the loss of his men and frustrated that Warek just would not die, Golus dropped all pretense of control and unleashed a blinding flurry of stabs, slashes, and kicks, which Warek barely managed to block and dodge with only some shallow cuts and a broken finger to show for it. This continued until, at length, Golus began to tire himself out. During one mighty chop with his poleaxe, Golus overextended himself, leaving himself open to a strike by Warek. Warek's punch, combined with Golus' weariness, was enough to send the Centaur legend to the ground. Warek picked up a dropped poleaxe and held the blade to Golus' throat, marking the end of the challenge.
The crowd's reaction was mixed; while most were impressed by the fight and proud that the Centaurs made the Bears earn their victory, many were also disgusted that the Bears had managed to best their champions. None of that mattered to Warek and Golus, however; Golus looked Warek in the eye, trying to look defiant even in defeat.
"Do it, Bear; kill me and take your freedom."
Warek stared down at Golus a moment longer, then cast the poleaxe aside.
"Too many good Maulers have been killed by the hatred of our clans. No more. You will release us and let us return to our ancestral home. After that, let us never cast a shadow on each other's territory again."
Golus glanced over at Hunter, who was helping Petra up after bandaging her leg with a crude splint made from the broken shaft of a poleaxe.
"Very well." Golus agreed at last.
Golus got back up and ordered the Bears released, on the condition that they harm no Centaurs on their way to their ancestral lands. Again, the crowd expressed mixed feelings about this turn of events, but they all respected Golus enough to accept his decision. Warek, Hunter, and Petra led the mass of Bears as they filed out of the arena and turned homeward.
"You know, Warek," Hunter said as they left the arena, "if I had defeated you when we fought, I would've killed you." Hunter put his paw on Warek's shoulder. "You're a better Bear than I."
"I don't know if I'd say that." Petra said, then leaned in and kissed Hunter on the cheek. "He may be a better fighter, but you're a lot cuter."
Hunter blushed as he looked forward and saw the first sunset he had witnessed in a long time as a free Bear.